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George W. Bush
Work as President George Walker Bush (born 6 July 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States, inaugurated on January 20, 2001 and re-inaugurated on January 20, 2005. Bush was elected Governor of Texas in 1994, and after having served in that position for nearly six years, was elected U.S. President in 2000, following one of the closest and most controversial elections in U.S. history. Eight months into Bush's presidency in 2001, in response to the September 11, 2001 attacks on America, President Bush announced a "war on terror", which would become a central issue of his presidency. In early October 2001, he ordered the invasion of Afghanistan to overthrow the Taliban as part of an attempt to defeat al-Qaeda.1 In March 2003, Bush ordered the invasion of Iraq, asserting that Iraq was in violation of UN Resolution 1441 regarding weapons of mass destruction.23 Following the invasion of Iraq, Bush stated his policy of promoting democracy in the Middle East, starting with Afghanistan and Iraq.4 Bush won re-election in 20045 after a heated general election campaign against Senator John Kerry. His term is set to end January 20, 2009. Childhood to Mid-Life Born in New Haven, Connecticut, Bush was the first child of George H. W. Bush and his wife Barbara Bush. His paternal ancestors emigrated from Somerset in the West Country of England in the seventeenth century. Bush's parents moved from Connecticut to Texas when he was two years old. He was raised in Midland and Houston, Texas, with his four siblings, Jeb, Neil, Marvin, and Dorothy. Another younger sister, Robin, died in 1953 at the age of three from leukemia.6 Bush's grandfather, Prescott Bush, was a U.S. Senator from Connecticut, and his father served as U.S. President from 1989 to 1993. Bush attended Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts and, following in his father's footsteps, was accepted into Yale University, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in history in 1968. At the same time, he worked in various Republican campaigns, including his father's 1964 and 1970 Senate campaigns in Texas. As a college senior, Bush became a member of the secretive Skull and Bones society. By his own characterization, Bush was an average student.7 In May 1968, at the height of the ongoing Vietnam War, Bush was accepted into the Texas Air National Guard. After training, he was assigned to duty in Houston, flying Convair F-102s out of Ellington Air Force Base.8 Critics have alleged that Bush was favorably treated during his time of service due to his father's political standing, and that he was irregular in attendance. Bush took a transfer to the Alabama Air National Guard in 1972 to work on a Republican senate campaign, and in 1974 he obtained permission to end his six-year service obligation six months early to attend Harvard Business School, receiving an honorable discharge.9 There are a number of accounts of substance abuse and otherwise disorderly conduct by Bush from this time. Bush has admitted to drinking "too much" in those years and described this period of his life as his "nomadic" period of "irresponsible youth".10 On September 4, 1976, at the age of 30, Bush was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol near his family's summer home in Kennebunkport, Maine. He pleaded guilty, was fined $150, and had his driver's license suspended until 197811 in Maine.12 After obtaining an MBA from Harvard University (Bush is the only U.S. President to serve holding a Master of Business Administration degree13), Bush entered the oil industry in Texas. In 1977, he was introduced by friends to Laura Welch, a schoolteacher and librarian. After three months of courting, they married and settled in Midland, Texas. Bush's twin daughters, Jenna and Barbara, were born in 1981. Bush also left his family's Episcopal Church to join his wife's United Methodist Church.14 In 1978, Bush ran for the U.S. House of Representatives from the 19th Congressional District of Texas. Facing Kent Hance of the Democratic Party, Bush stressed his energy credentials and conservative values in the campaign. Hance, however, also held many conservative views, opposing gun control and strict regulation; he portrayed Bush as being out of touch with rural Texans. Bush lost by 6,000 votes. Hance later became a Republican and donated money to Bush's campaign for Governor of Texas in 1993.15 Bush returned to the oil industry, becoming a senior partner or chief executive officer of several ventures, such as Arbusto Energy,16 Spectrum 7, and, later, Harken Energy.17 These ventures suffered from the general decline of oil prices in the 1980s that had affected the industry and the regional economy. Additionally, questions of possible insider trading involving Harken have arisen, though the SEC's investigation of Bush concluded that he did not have enough insider information before his stock sale to warrant a case.18 Around 1986, Bush and friends have stated that he became a teetotaler, began studying Christian philosophy, and started participating in church and community study groups. According to Bush, following a personal meeting and exchange with Reverend Billy Graham, he became a born-again Christian.10 Bush moved with his family to Washington, D.C. in 1988, to work on his father's campaign for the U.S. presidency.19 With colleagues Lee Atwater and Doug Wead, he helped to develop and coordinate a political strategy for courting conservative Christians and evangelical voters, who were seen as key to winning the nomination and the election.20 Returning to Texas, Bush purchased a share in the Texas Rangers baseball franchise in April 1989, where he served as managing general partner of the Rangers for five years.21 One act he would be remembered for during his tenure occurred in 1989, when Bush presided during the trading away of Sammy Sosa who would go on to be a popular and prodigious home run hitter for the Chicago Cubs.22 Bush actively led the team's projects and regularly attended its games, often choosing to sit in the open stands with fans.23 The sale of Bush's share in the Texas Rangers brought him over $15 million from his initial $800,000 investment.24 Bush is the first president to have run a marathon. Before running for governor of Texas he completed the 1993 Houston Marathon in 3:44:52 for a pace of about 8:36/mile. He had been running since he was 26, and before taking office, ran 15 to 30 miles a week.25 Bush is often referred to by the nickname "Dubya", playing on his Southern pronunciation of the letter W, his middle initial. Facts about George W. Bush -George W Bush was once overheard in a bar ordering a Mike's Hard Lemonade. -George W Bush cries during intercourse because it's the only way he can get off. -George W Bush believes in imaginary friends. -George W Bush's favorite film is The Lion King. -George W Bush counted to four. Twice. -George W Bush wishes he was an astronaut instead. -George W Bush can bench 43 lbs. -George W Bush's favorite TV show is Inuyasha. -George W Bush is incapable of pronouncing the word "nuclear."